Discipline

How many of us like to be disciplined? Some of us dislike discipline so much that they cringed at reading that word. Discipline is done in different ways depending on who is giving the discipline. Is discipline important? Let's look at a person who chose not to discipline his sons and see what happens.

In 1 Samuel 2:12-36 we find the story of Eli and his sons. Eli was a priest of the Lord. He had two sons: Hophni and Phinehas. Both of his sons were also priests. Eli's sons made choices that were displeasing to God. They did not follow the proper way of the law in sacrificing and taking their part of the sacrifice (1 Sam.12-17). Eli knew this and he also knew that his sons were sleeping with the women who were at the entrance of the tent of meeting (v.22).

What should Eli do, knowing that his sons are sinning? He should discipline them. Does Eli discipline his sons? Eli went to his sons (v.23-25). He says the report he hears about them isn't good. He reminds them that no one can intercede for someone who sins against the Lord. That's all Eli does. Now, was it good for Eli to remind his sons about what they should and shouldn't be doing? Yes, should Eli have done more?

Eli's sons are probably adults in this situation. When children become adults they will make their own mistakes. That's okay, but this situation is a bit different. Eli isn't just a father in this situation. Eli is a priest who is an elder to his sons. Eli could have done something else to stop his sons from sinning. But, Eli doesn't do anything else. (We also find in verse 25 that God made it so Eli's sons wouldn't listen. We know no one can go against God. Yet, Eli still could have tried to discipline them)?

Because Eli chooses not to discipline his sons God gives his family consequences (v.27-36). The biggest consequence being both of his sons will die on the same day. This message is brought by a man of God. God had decreed this once. What God says will come about. Yet, God is a merciful God. If Eli and his sons would have repented and changed their ways what would have happened? We don't know because nothing changes. This isn't the last warning Eli gets. Samuel is given a message to give to Eli when God speaks to Samuel (1 Sam.3.11-18). This message is about Eli and his family. Eli is given plenty of warning and time to change his family's ways.

Eventually everything God said would happen  to Eli and his family did happen. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want that to happen to me or my family. How can we keep that from happening? We can't really, because God's will will be done. However, we can do something to try to prevent it. We can bring up our family in God's ways. We can discipline children to make sure they know right from wrong. Eli's story shows us what happens when one does not discipline their children.

Now, when we discipline, we must remember the words of Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." We are not to provoke children to anger. Yes, children will be angry if you discipline them. But, we shouldn't discipline them in the wrong way. We shouldn't constantly be bashing on kids. If we do, they may turn away from God. When we discipline we should think about the proper consequence for the action. We should also talk with children about what they did that was wrong and why it was wrong. That will help them think about right from wrong next time.

So, are you disciplining your children? Do you provoke your children to anger? What and you do to teach others right from wrong today?

Image from here.

Judgement

   You are not a judge. Even if you are a real judge in the justice system you are not The Judge. Can anyone tell me why people find it so interesting to randomly look at people and judge them? I mean, what does it do for you? In the long run, you will ruin your reputation with others, make your friends wonder if you do the same to them, and waste your own time. How does this help you? How does this help others?

   I am sick and tired of going to places and hearing people gossip about others. I understand that some people people-watch for fun. It’s one thing to look at someone and wonder what they are up to; it’s another thing to look at someone and judge them based off of their appearance.

   I get that we all have first impressions, that’s not what I am talking about here. I am talking about when I walk into a store and I hear a group of people saying things about me. They aren’t anything nice either, most of the time it is exploiting my body or my clothing. Then after I hear them do that I begin to think different things. I think about what I can do to change the things wrong with me (and yes, I know I’m not perfect). I think about what I can say to tell those kids off. Mostly, I think about how I just want to get out of there as soon as possible (When Insecurities Come Up Blog).

   Then, after I leave I start to hear voices in my head. They say things like, “why can’t you work out more?” “Why can’t you keep your hair under control?” “Why don’t you try to wear nicer clothes?” (The TickingTime Bomb Blog). That’s when I go back and forth with those voices. I say, “why does it matter what I wear?” “Why do I care what those kids think?” “This is just the Devil trying to get me to look down on myself. God loves me just the way I am.” You know, the typical I know the right answers but it’s hard thing (When You Know the Answers Blog).

   When I was younger this process to get to the point where I ended this roller coaster thinking took a long time, days even. Now, I am better at shutting this down. That’s not to say I shut it down by my own power, in fact I don’t do it on my own. God has given me God-Confidence. He loves me for who I am. He knows my thoughts, actions, insecurities, talents, etc. and loves me. I have known that for a long time but thinking about certain things and verses have helped me.

   1 John 3:1 says: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” I am a child of God. He made me in his image, as he made you in his image. He cared enough about you and me to adopt us into his family. He knows we are quirky and sometimes annoying but he loves us. He loves you in spite of all your imperfections. He’s our great father who will help us through tough times we just have to choose to see that he is there helping us.

   Philippians 4:6 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” I used to have pretty bad anxiety so this verse is very near and dear to my heart. I would overthink so much that I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t eat. I didn’t want to mess up. I didn’t want to be thought of as strange or weird. I didn’t want to let anyone down. I kept thinking I wasn’t good enough. Then I realized that I am always good enough for God. But, there’s more to it than that. I have a relationship with him. I can talk with him about my worries and needs. He will be with me no matter what.

   Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Finally, I remember that God gave himself for me. If the worst thing in the world happens to me, God is there. He showed his love for me by dying in order to have a relationship with me. It doesn’t matter if someone says I stink because the creator of everything loves me.

   Now, one last thing before my rant is over: we need to watch what we say about others. If you wouldn’t say it to a person’s face you shouldn’t say it at all. Words can hurt. In the end being mean and judging someone will not get you very far (unless you are a judge on a show, but most of us won’t get there). Instead of using our words to tear others down, why can’t we build others up? We are called to show God’s love to others. I think we need to give others compliments instead of criticism. Criticism does have a place if it is constructive (Galatians 6:1-2). But, many times we focus too much on the negative and not enough on the positive (A Story About Stones Wallsand Bridges Blog).

   So, do you have a tendency to judge others too much? When you are judged will you remember God loves you and will walk through that hard time with you? What can you do to encourage someone today?

   Image from here.

Who You Spend Time With

    At the school I teach at we have begun to grow different plants. One time we were growing tomatoes. I could not believe how many tomatoes grew when we planted them! Then we picked them. Each child pointed to the one they wanted, and teachers helped them pull them off if they needed it. 

   One child saw a large tomato that was hidden within the tomato plants. It looked plump and big. I went to grab it but as I did another tomato came with it. On the opposite side of the large tomato, it was squishy and rotten because a tomato beside it was connected to it, and it was rotten. This large tomato that would have been good to eat was no longer good to eat because of the tomato next to it.

   Humans can act like those tomatoes. You can be a Christian who is following the Lord, but others can impact your walk with the Lord. If you spend time with someone who sins and encourages you to sin, then you can become rotten. You cease to bear good fruit. That's why we must be careful who we spend our time with. We need to have a body of believers who are encouraging us in our walk with God.

   Now, that is not to say that we should not spread the Gospel as the great commission calls us to. We should tell others about Jesus. We just should not allow others to influence us to sin. It is a fine balance. We must be confident in our Lord and trust in him so much that when temptation comes, we can overtake it. That is how we will bear good fruit.

   So, who do you spend your time with? Are you walking with the Lord? How can you spread the Gospel today?

   Psalm 119:105

Courageous Fathers

   Father's day: the day where dad's get mugs that say "# 1 dad," tools, or other gifts that are considered manly. We all have a father. Unfortunately some people don't think of Father's day as a good holiday. Rather, it is a reminder that their father failed. Some children have never met their biological father, never had a father, or their father hurt them in some way.
   It is very difficult for fathers in this world. They are expected to be the head of the house, be a rock to the family, and are to be an example. They have to live up to some pretty high standards considering we all have another father: our Heavenly Father. God is the best father we could ever have. But, it is also important for us to have strong examples of fathers on earth. What can we do when our earthly father is not there for us or not a good example?
   The answer is we cannot do much. It is going to take godly men like Adam Mitchell, a police officer from the movie Courageous, to step up. In the beginning of the movie Adam was not the best example of a godly father. But, as the movie went on, Adam began to change and try to be more like God. He even encouraged others to change their ways and become examples to their children. Adam stepped up and helped a friend's child by spending time with the child because the child's birth father was in jail.
   Fathers need to step up and realize that whatever they do is being watched even if they don't realize it. Fathers must be an example to children even if they don't want to be. If we don't have fathers step up, then our world is in for a rude awakening.
   So, will you choose to be an example to children? Will you step up and help children who may not have godly fathers?

   Romans 12:2, Matthew 5:16, Proverbs 20:7

   Image from here. 

Cut Off: Jesus Series

   “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.” Matthew 18:8

   In this passage Jesus is talking about things and people who cause others to stumble. It seems odd for someone to say that you should cut off your hand if it causes you to stumble but let's look at this passage a little more in depth.

   Speaking from a teacher's perspective this passage is very scary. In verse 6 it talks about if anyone should cause children to stumble it is better for a millstone to be hung around their neck and be drowned. That seems like a pretty severe punishment to us, but is it really?
   Last week we talked about good leaders and how we need to keep our leaders accountable. The people that you follow: are they free from sin? No, no one is free from sin but we can repent. In order to repent one must ask for forgiveness and stop committing the sin. However, there are those who know they are sinning and yet continue to stay in their sin. Worse still, some of those people lead others into the same sin!

   Isaiah 59:2 says: "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." God cannot look upon sin because he is holy. That's why when Adam and Eve sinned they had to leave the Garden and God's presence. That's why God could not look at Jesus when he died on the cross because Jesus took our sins upon him.
   This verse isn't literally talking about cutting off our hand. It's talking about distancing ourselves from people who don't repent. People who do not repent are going to harm the body of Christ by causing others in the body to stumble (1 Cor.12.12-31).
   Now, this is where it gets tricky. Kicking a sinner out of the church doesn't work because then everyone will be kicked out since we are all sinners. Keeping the person in the church in certain roles doesn't work because he/she could influence others to sin. There needs to be some grace and there needs to be some truth and Jesus gives us the answer to this problem in the same chapter.
   In Matthew 18:15-19 Jesus talks about dealing with sin in the church. First we are to talk with the person who sinned about their sin. If they don't listen then we take one or two others along to talk to the person again. Finally, we are to take it to the church. If he/she still doesn't listen then we are to treat them like a pagan.
   What does this mean for us? It means we need to be careful that sin doesn't enter our lives. I want to be in the body of Christ and I hope you do too. I don't want any sin holding me back from being more like Christ and helping him spread his kingdom. It also means we need to hold one another accountable. If we see someone sinning we need to talk to that person about it in a kind way, not in a I'm better than you way. We are to care for each other that way we all will grow in Christ and help the body grow as well.
   So, will you check to make sure there is no sin in your life? Will you help keep others accountable? What can you do to grow in God today?

   Image from here.

What in the World is Happening to Children These Days?!

   "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me" (Respect Aretha Franklin). I've heard this song many times but I've never thought much about this particular lyric until recently. I love children. I really do because they have amazing curiosity, kindness, love for life, etc. But children, and people, have changed.

   We could blame the change on many different things: society, technology, morals, etc. But that's not why I'm writing this blog. I'm writing this blog for 2 reasons. The first is so people realize the changes in people/children, we will get to the second reason later.

   Today children do not listen to those in authority, do not have patience, need instant gratification, whine, and ask why rather than trusting those in authority.

   When I was younger I, and I'm sure many of you as well, listened to those in authority. Sure sometimes I failed to listen to my parents or teachers but I did the best I could to please my elders. Today children do not want to respect others no matter who that person is. They use the excuse of "we don't get any respect so why should we give it?"

   Children do not have patience and need instant gratification. We could blame technology and say that whenever children want an answer or want to win something all the need to do is turn to technology. They have an ideal that they should win something even if they lose because we have participation awards.

   If children do not get what they want they whine. If they get an answer they do not like they ask "why?" Rather than being okay with the answer they got from the person in authority.

   Now I understand that we want children to be curious, want them to work hard, we want them to question things. But this has been taken way too far.

   We are headed down a path that we may not be able to come back from. This path of selfishness and no patience because we want what we want and we want it now. This path of "I deserve it." You don't deserve anything but death (blog link)! This path of disrespect where we only think of ourselves and do not care about others' feelings.

   This is when we get to the second reason why I wrote this blog... see I made you wait and have patience ;) Thus far this blog has been pretty pessimistic but, just like in life, there is hope. We can change this path. We can choose to go down a different trail.

   How can we do this? We can say no to kids and people. Thus making those people realize that they do not deserve everything and making them work hard for themselves. We can stop giving participation awards and instant gratification. This makes people work hard for what they earn and work even harder to get that award again. We can disciple people and teach them right from wrong. This will help immensely with the disrespect problem if rewards are given for doing the right thing and taken away for doing the wrong thing.

   Above all else we must come along side people, lean on God, and pray. This path has already been paved and it's not going to be easy to turn around and change direction unless we are all working together toward this goal. We must keep one another accountable and help children who may not have good role models. And, when it seems hopeless, we must trust that God has a plan.

   So, have you seen this path that people and children are going down? Are you willing to make these changes so that children's lives can be better? Will you come along side others, be a role model, and trust in God?

   Matthew 5:16. Romans 12:12, Philippians 2:4

Searching for Context

One day my family and I were at the grocery store. We were about halfway through when my mom looked at the list. She said a few items we still needed. One of the items was Apple cider. My dad said, "well we missed that. It's with the fruit." Mom said, "No, it's with the tea." There was a bit of discussion. Then I said, "mom is talking about the Apple cider mix that's with the tea bags and hot chocolate." That's when everyone finally understood.

In this situation if you didn't know the context of what you were looking for then you may have grabbed the wrong cider; or, gone to the wrong area to get the cider. This situation is also like in books. If a person takes a sentence out of a book they are losing the context. There is a particular book that this happens with a lot: the bible.

People like to take certain verses out of the bible and use them individually. When you do that you are missing part of the message. I'm not saying it's not okay to take a verse out of the bible to memorize it. But, you shouldn't use the verse in the wrong way if you explain it.

Christians should know how important it is to not take the bible out of context. Yet, people still do it today. What can we do when bible verses are taken out of context? How can we know when a verse is taken out of context? First we need to know the bible. In Joshua 1:8 it says:

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

If we don't know the bible then we won't know when a verse is taken out of context. That's why over and over the bible tells us to know the word. That's the way we can know the will of God. That's why it is important to spend time in the word each day, so we know God.

When we hear that someone has taken a verse out of context what should we do? We should keep them accountable. Galatians 6:1 says:

"My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too."

Did you catch that? We are to set people right when they are caught in wrong doing. But, we are not to do it in a mean way. We are to be gentle. We are to correct them in love.

So, do you take the bible out of context? Do you know the word enough to know when a verse is taken out of context? Will you choose to keep others accountable if you hear someone take a verse out of context?

Image from here.

Are you Naive?

   Imagine you are walking down the street. Then you see an old friend. You start talking and your friend says that he heard that science has proven that aliens are real. You seem to think that is strange. You ask your friend where he heard that. Your friend says he read it on the internet. Well of course you see now that more than likely that story isn't true. 
   Now picture you are in church and your pastor is preaching. He says that in the Bible it says that everyone will go to heaven. All you need to do to get to heaven is be a good person. You are so into the message that you think, "wow I am definitely going to heaven!" 
   If you are a learned student of the Bible you know this isn't true. But, some people would believe it to be true just because it came out of a pastor's mouth. Humans have a tendency to trust certain references over others. That's not always a bad thing but we are told in the Bible there will be false prophets. These people would tell you anything to get you away from the true message of the gospel. They may even try to make a more appealing way to enter the kingdom of God. 

   If you trust whatever any pastor says then you are like Tony Stark, at first. In Iron Man Tony is the CEO of a major corporation. He is talking with his second in command and he is ticked because his second in command went behind his back on a deal. Obadiah (second in command): "Tony, Tony you can't afford to be this naive" Tony: "you know what? I was naive before when they said, here's the line. We don't cross it. This is how we do business."

   Tony is realizing that he cannot always trust what those close to him, or what those he looked up to, say. As Christians it is our job to be detectives. When we hear a message we must ask ourselves a question: "is this biblically sound?" In other words: is this person speaking the truth? 
Tony Stark was beginning to realize that he had to become a detective. A person who he saw like a father betrayed him and lied to him. That made him look into other people and see if they were speaking the truth. He then learned who he could trust.
   We must make sure that we are detectives. We must make sure that whatever we hear is from the word of God. If we realize that someone is not speaking from the Bible we must let that person know. Otherwise that person is laying his foundation on sand instead of the rock. And, to make matters worse, he is helping others build their homes on sand! That could cause many to die. 
   If the person does not listen then it is our job to get others to realize that they need to be detectives. They need to know what is biblically sound. They need to know how to question those in authority, in a respectful way, when they hear something that goes against the word of God. They also need to know how to study the word or God. The way to do that is to be taught to spend time in the word.
   So, do you just trust what those in authority over you say? How can you make sure something is biblically sound? How can you teach others to know what is biblically sound?

   Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:24, 1 John 4:1-6

   Image found here.

Choosing Sides

   So many times we feel like we need to fight against each other. I'll give you some examples:  men vs. women, street smart vs. book smart, pro-life vs. pro-abortion, Christian vs. Atheist, etc.

   You get my point. Many times we think we need to choose a side. We fight against each other in many ways. My question is why? 

   John 13:34 says "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." We are to love others like Jesus loved others. Did Jesus go around fighting his brothers and sisters? Yes, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees. He calmly told them the word of God and left it at that.  

   You may be saying: "I'm not Jesus. I'm not perfect. I lose my temper." Yes, we lose our temper, but our goal is to emulate Jesus. We will never be perfect and Jesus still loves us. However, we are to try to grow to be more like him each day. 

   Does that mean we are to be tolerant of sins? No, at least not in the way the world thinks tolerance means. We are not to just sit back and say "your truth is your truth. My truth is my truth." We are to spread the Gospel as Matthew 28:19 says "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." That doesn't mean we should get out our bibles and thump people over the head with them. It means we should spread the Gospel in love as Jesus did. We serve others as Jesus did. 

   Sometimes I think we forget that Jesus came because he loves us. He came to defeat sin so he could be with us. I have been saying, in some of my blogs, that we are at war today. Our battle is not with each other. Our battle is against sin and Satan. The bad news is that some people try to fight this battle on their own. The worst news is that some people embrace sin and Christians try to fight against those people. Yes, we should not accept when others sin. But, many times we tend to judge those who sin. We are not the judge, God is. We can hold one another accountable but we are to do that in love. If we don't do it in love how are we to spread the Gospel? People will not want to be a part of something where they feel judged. We can say, "I don't approve of what you are doing, here's why (show bible verses). But, I still love you because Jesus loves you.  

   Now, lest you think there is only bad news, I will tell you there is good news. The good news is we don't need to fight against each other; and we don't need to fight the battle against sin on our own. The great news is that Jesus has already won the battle. We don't need to fight against sinners. We don't even need to fight against Satan on our own. Jesus fights with us and he already won for us. We can choose to rest in that and use his word, as he did, to fight battles we face. Because, we still have our own battles to face.  

   That's why I'm saying I think it's time for us to stop picking sides. We are all human. We all mess up. We all sin. We don't need to fight against each other to make that worse. What we can do is lovingly keep one another accountable. What we can do is encourage one another. What we can do is spread the Gospel through his love. 

   So, are you fighting against your brothers and sisters? Do you lovingly keep others accountable? Are you spreading the Gospel in love?

   Image from here.

Don't Doubt

   As a soccer coach I have the experience of not only dealing with my emotions but also the emotions of my players. After a game I may be feeling happy, sad, or angry. But, I have to push aside my feelings and help the girls with their feelings.
   One time my team had just lost a tough game 6-0. All of my girls were down but there was one who just wasn't acting like herself, let's call her Kathy. Kathy came over to get one of the coolers to put on the bus. I asked her, "are you okay?"  She said she was "fine."
   Now, my players know that when I ask that question I expect an honest answer and I will help them if I can. I knew this girl wasn't telling me the whole truth. I pulled her aside and I said, "you know what fine means right? Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional." She laughed. 

   Then I asked her again, "what's wrong?" She started to cry as she told me about how she felt she didn't play that well and that the team started to yell at each other. I encouraged her and said, "yes we have a lot to work on but give it some time." Then I encouraged her and told her not to doubt her abilities.
   We went back to school and she came over to me. She hugged me and said "thanks for being a great coach." I gave her a look and she said, "what?" I said, "I'm not sure I'm such a great coach." She said "don't doubt yourself."
   I have had a lot of experiences like this. I like to encourage others and make them laugh. But, I have insecurities as well. I doubt my abilities because I listen to the voices in my head that tell me, "you are not good at this. You should have done it this way. You are a failure." I'm sure you've had this happen to you at some point as well.
   That's when I need to look at God's word. He tells me I am beautiful, worthy, and loved. If he knows this and tells me it, why can't I believe it? I think the issue isn't that I don't believe it. It's that I remember at times and forget at times. During the God high times, I am able to help others more and feel confident. Then I begin to slack in my time with God or go through a hard time and I forget who I am to him.
   If God loves us enough to die so he can have a personal relationship with us, why do we doubt the abilities and talents he's given us? It's because the devil reminds us of our shortcomings. It's because we are still sinners and imperfect. But if we stand on the promises of God, then we will remember who we are in God.
   So, do you doubt your abilities? Do you believe God loves you? Will you choose to believe in yourself in God?

   James 1:6 and Matthew 21:21

   Image from here.

Words Out of Context

   In the movie Iron Man 2 Tony Stark is being ask to give up his Iron Man suits so that the army can make suits like them. He decides to fight giving up the suits because they are his property. That’s when the court calls in Rhodes, a Colonel in the U.S. Army and a friend of Tony. The conversation goes as follows (Stern is the Secretary of Defense):

Stern: I have before me a complete report on the Iron Man weapon, complied by Colonel Rhodes. And, Colonel, for the record, can you please read page 57, paragraph four?

Rhodey: You’re requesting that I read specific selections from my report, Senator?

Stern: Yes, sir.

Rhodey: It was my understanding that I was going to be testifying in a much more comprehensive and detailed manner.

Stern: I understand. A lot of things have changed today. So if you could just read…


Rhodey: You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context does not reflect the summery of my final…

Stern: Just read it, Colonel. I do. Thank you.

Rhodey: Very well. “As he does not operate within any definable branch of government, Iron Man presents a potential threat to the security of both the nation and to her interests.” I did however, go on to summarize that the benefits of Iron Man far outweigh three liabilities and that it would be in our interest…

Stern: That’s enough Colonel

   Rhodes had completed a report on Iron Man. He worked hard on it and made it very detailed. He didn't want to read just one part of it because then it wouldn't make sense. It would be taken out of context. How would you feel if something you wrote was taken out of context? You'd be upset, right?
   Well, that's how God feels when his word is taken out of context. God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Yet, many people still take the words out of context in order to get what they want. They do it to justify their actions that are actually sinful! It's vital to look at the context of the verses we read/use that way we make sure we are not sinning and we aren't causing others to sin.
   So, do you take verses out of context? What can you do to be sure you don't take verses out of context?

   John 14:15
   Image from here. 

It's Impossible

   Have you ever been told you can't do something? People say it's impossible to do. How does that make you feel? One time my sister and I were playing Disney Infinity in the Incredibles play set. We were told we could not complete a mission until we had a helicopter because what we needed to do was get on top of roofs.
   My sister and I looked at each other. We decided to try and complete some of the mission. We were able to get to the top of two buildings easily. The other three were more difficult. But, we continued to try. I found a building that had an elevator. I used it to get to the top of that building then used another tool I had to get to other buildings. We completed the mission. It was hard, probably harder than if we would have waited until we had the helicopter, but we persevered. We completed the impossible.
   Matthew 19:26 says : "But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'” Many times we go through our lives as Christians saying "that's not possible." We lose our faith and trust that God can do anything. If God wanted the sky to be purple he could make it purple. God may call us to do things that we think are crazy but with him it is possible. We just need to be willing to work hard and preserver.
   So, has God called you to do anything you think is impossible? Will you trust that he has a plan and will help you to complete what he calls you to do?

   Jeremiah 32:17 and Ephesians 3:20

   Image from here. 

Kids These Days

   "Kids these days are so lazy." "Kids don't know how to do anything they will need for life." "Back in my day we went outside at sunrise and were not back till sunset. We fell down and were fine." "Millennials need to have their phones. It's like their phone is another appendage." These are just a few quotes I have heard people say about kids and Millennials today.

   I have heard it all I tell you. I've heard that Millennials are lazy, don't care about issues, don't know how to have human interactions, are addicted to tech, and the list goes on and on. You know why I have heard this? First off I am a teacher... it's kind of my job to listen and talk about kids. Second I am a Millennial. I get lumped into this group of "lazy, uncaring, tech teens." And, believe it or not, I do see some of what people are saying about Millennials. But, what bugs me is when people think this is true of all Millennials, or they don't look at the good Millennials do.
   Millennials have the power to be amazing. We can impact the world more than any generation before us (that's not a knock on past generations; we will get to why we have that impact).
   Here is a list of good I have found in Millennials:

   1. We work behind the scenes. Believe it or not, some Millennials have character. Some of us don't like to be in the spotlight. We know how to work hard for something we believe in. You just don't see it... or maybe you were not looking...
   2. We use tech to better the world. What are you reading right now? A blog. This blog is probably on a computer, tablet, or phone. This blog has been alive for 3 years now. This blog has had over 7,000 views. This blog has reached people in Russia, Africa, England, the Caribbean, India, and so many more places! If just this one blog can do that imagine all the other blogs, websites, Facebook pages, Instagrams, twitters, etc. That have the power to reach the lost! It's true that this can be used for bad reasons but good can be done by using technology!
   3. We stand up for what we believe in. This can seem bad if you know we are talking about things that are against God. But, there are Christian Millennials out there. We stand up in an oppressed world and use our voice for God. Meanwhile we have older generations saying we are lazy and don't do anything for others? How do you think this makes us feel? Please stop lumping all Millennials together!
   So what's the point of all this? First off it is to make you realize you cannot lump one generation into a little box. Not everyone is like the kids you think about when you heard about Millennials. Second it is to make you see the good that Millennials can do. Finally it is to make you realize that you can have an impact on this generation.

   This generation is so used to being ragged on. That is why we get so defensive to attacks. Well, what if instead of attacking us you came alongside us? What if you chose to listen to us? I will tell you that Millennials can be some of the smartest people you may ever talk to. We have ideas and we are willing to share our ideas as long as we don't feel attacked. If we feel attacked you will still hear our ideas but in a probably not nice way.
   Also, we are looking for something to stand up for. We look for causes and are very loyal to the causes we choose. But, when we don't have people to guide us and help us with those causes we turn to bad causes. Millennials need guides. We don't need drill Sergeants  who demand that we do things, there is a difference. Guides give suggestions and then help us in the path we choose. Sergeants tell us to do things... which, to Millennials, sounds a lot like an attack.
   Bottom line: you help us and we will help you. If you are loyal to us we will be loyal to you. Rather than attacking us why don't we band together and make a real impact on the world for Jesus like we are called to do?
   So, do you lump all Millennials together? How can you help Millennials now that you know how to? Will you choose to change how you deal with the younger generation? If you are a Millennial, will you choose a cause that will make a difference? Will you be the change you want to see in the world?

   Philippians 2:4, 1 John 3:17, John 16:33

   Image found here.

How Old Are You?

   I like to play video games. Now, I'm not talking about those violent video games. I'm talking about fun ones like Mario, Lego, and Wii sports.
   A while back we got the Wii Fit game. In that game you could weigh yourself every day, figure out your balance, and improve your health by exercising. When you weighed yourself you could go through some exercises to figure out how good your balance was. Then the Wii Fit Board calculated what your age was based off of your ability in those games. 
   If your age was younger than your actual age, or close to your actual age, you would be good. However, most of the time, your Wii Fit age was much older than your actual age. That is because you were still getting used to exercising and keeping your balance. 
   This is a lot like your spiritual age vs your physical age. Some of us have been going to church and learning about God for our whole lives. That means our spiritual age may be older than our physical age. Others of us have just learned the good news so, even though we are older, we have a young spiritual age. 
   Here's the great thing about spiritual age: it can grow a whole lot faster than your physical age. You may be asking how that can happen. Well, it is a matter of how childlike you are. I'm not saying how immature you are, I'm saying how curious you are and how much faith you have. New Christians tend to have a fire and curiosity to learn about God. But as we grow in God, we start to think we know it all and forget that we have to keep growing. 
   How can we keep growing? You can read the Bible, study the Bible and other Christian books, pray, or go to church. Any time that you are trying to gain information about God you are growing in knowledge of God. Every time I read the Bible I gain new insight and understanding. Shouldn't that be our goal? We should want to grow in God.
   Finally, for those of us who have an older spiritual age, we have a responsibility. We need to help those who have a younger spiritual age grow. That may mean being open to having conversations with those people. It may mean praying for them. Or, it could mean writing a note of encouragement. The bottom line is we are in fellowship and community for a reason: to help one another grow and keep each other accountable.
   So, what is your spiritual age? Are you trying to grow in God no matter what your spiritual age is? Are you helping those with a younger spiritual age than you grow in God?

   Colossians 1:9-10, 2 Peter 3:18, Matthew 18:3

Names of Christians

   Christians are given many different names nowadays. We are called many things by the world and most of those things are not good.

   We may not get called this by non-Christians but they definitely see our devotion to what we believe. Sometimes Christians are lukewarm. We say we believe in God, but we only show it on Sundays. Sunday we go to church and may listen to the message and sing the songs but after that we do not show we are Christian. Sure we may talk the talk but we don't walk the walk.

   Another big name Christians have nowadays is Hypocrite. It somewhat goes along with us being lukewarm. We praise Jesus with our mouths on Sunday and then use the same mouth to scream at our fellow man Monday. We may say "you shouldn't lie, cheat, or steal." But then we do the exact same thing we tell others not to do! We don't take the log out of our eye before taking the splinter out of someone else's.

   The third name we get called is holier than thou. We think we are the best of the best and no one can be greater. We may even think that we do not sin. Some of us don't go quite that far. But we may still have pride, which is just as bad. We may have these ideas that we don't need to ask certain people for forgiveness because we are better than they are in some way.

   The final name we may get called is lunatic. People think we are crazy because we believe in someone we can't see, who may not exist. Also we do these crazy things like give away money to random strangers. Or we help those who have hurt us. In the eye of many people today that is nuts because they are just looking out for themselves.

   I don't know about you but out of all these names I'd rather be called a lunatic. Actually, I already get called that by my family but that's for different reasons :D Mostly good things I promise.

   Anyhow, around this time of year we talk a lot about belief. However, the secular world talks about believing in Santa Clause. In the movie The Santa Clause an elf has one of the most profound quotes. She says: "seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing." Many people who believe in Santa are called crazy, just like those who believe in Jesus.

   Let me ask you this: which is easier to believe: that God doesn't exist, or that God made everything? I tell you this it takes much more faith to believe in God than it does to believe in anything else.

   Christians need to have crazy love, faith, passion, and so much more. We are held to a higher standard on this earth because of what we know and believe. We are to spread the gospel and show the love of Christ. We all know this is crazy because none of us can ever amount to the love, faith, and passion that Jesus showed. But, that shouldn't stop us from doing what we are called to do.

   So, which of these names do you get called? If you don't like the name you get called what can you do to change it? Will you choose to have crazy faith?

   Revelation 3:16, Matthew 7:5, Matthew 10:22

The Goodness in Choosing Right: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Goodness is about character, integrity, honest, kindness, generosity, moral, courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people” (Dennis Prager).

   When you hear the word goodness what do you think of? You probably think of people doing nice things for others. It sounds a lot like kindness doesn’t it? Why would Paul put both kindness and goodness in the fruit of the spirit if they are pretty much the same?

   Kindness and goodness are not the same. You can be good by showing kindness. But, goodness is “the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). In order to be good one must choose to do right rather than wrong. And, ever since sin entered the world, that isn’t easy.

   The way to learn right from wrong is either by studying or by learning from a teacher. While I was student teaching, in my last semester at Lancaster Bible College, I was having a really difficult time getting the students to learn. I could not understand why the students did not want to learn more about their world, especially when I was doing it in a fun way/trying to cater to their individual interests. On top of that I was getting frustrated because I felt like a failure as a teacher.

   Then I had a conversation with my professor. She told me that I seemed to be getting frustrated because students did not want to learn and they were misbehaving. Then she told me that I have a definite sense of right and wrong. I feel that students are always growing but they can either grow the right way or the wrong way. It became my goal, after that conversation, to plant seeds of learning in students to help them grow the right way.

   In order to choose right rather than wrong, one must know the word of God. And, like I said the best way to learn right from wrong is to study or be taught. But, there is no way that we can always choose to be good because we are sinful creatures. We need to pray to God to help us choose his path rather than the wrong path. With his help we can choose follow his ways.

   So, have you chosen to follow God? Do you have a teacher in your life to help you learn right from wrong and keep you accountable? Do you believe that it is only through God that you are able to choose right from wrong?

   Psalm 23:6, Romans 12:9, Galatians 6:10, Galatians 5:22-23

Times of Questioning

   The Devil lies. That's what I keep telling myself. I keep on having thoughts go through my head that say: "I'm not doing a good job," "I don't have a purpose for being where I am at in life," "I should give up and go back to the things or places I know."
   It is easy for me to ignore these lies when I am in times, or areas/places, where I am confident. When I was in school I knew my routine. I knew to get up, get ready for school, go to school, go to soccer, do my homework, and go to bed.
   Granted, in that time, unexpected episodes happened. I had friends come up to me to discuss problems, family issues, etc. But, I generally knew what to do in order to succeed in everything still. Therefore, anytime I heard the Devil say something to me that I knew wasn't true, I was able to dismiss it easily.
   Now I am in a time and area where I don't really know what I'm doing. I mean, I was trained for this but every school is different. Every soccer program is different. I'm still trying to find my footing in both of these areas in my life. I'm out of my comfort zone entirely, which is a scary place to be. On top of it is easier to listen to the Devil's lies. I keep hearing: "YOU are not doing a good job," YOU don't have a purpose for being here," YOU should give up."
   Here's the thing: these lies are poison. What happens when you get poisoned? You need someone to take care of the poison. You cannot really take care of yourself. When we are in times of Questioning, or in times of new places, we need a few things in order to succeed and stay sain.
   First you need a group of people to come around you and support you. Those people may be mentors, friends, or prayer warriors. But, if you don't have these people when the crazy kicks in you will have no one to go to when you are at times when you feel you should give up. I have a group of people who I have known for years supporting me, I have a new group of people at school and soccer surrounding me and teaching me, and I have all of these people praying for me. Knowing that these people are with me is helping me to keep moving forward.
   Second in your time of Questioning you need to have people who you can ask your questions to. Without these people you will probably go nuts thinking about all the little details you don't know. You need at least one specific person, in your new area, who you can go to to ask questions or just talk.
   Finally, you need to trust God. When I first got the call about soccer I wanted to do it, but I wasn't sure it was plausible with my career. However, it became clear that I was to take that role on. Then after I took that role I received a part time job teaching job that worked perfectly with my soccer schedule. God knew this would happen and made it clear that this is where I should be in my life.
   Am I scared sometimes? Oh yeah. Do I have mini freak out sessions? Every once in a while. But the most important question I have had to answer through this experience is: is this where God wants me to be? I believe the answer is yes. That is why I'm going to ignore the Devil and his lies. That is why I'm going to keep moving forward. That is why I am going to trust God.
   So, do you have a hard time ignoring the Devil's lies? Do you have a group of people surrounding you to help you in times of Questioning? Do you trust God that he has put you where you are for a purpose? 

   Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Galatians 6:2

A Pep Talk During War

   We are at war. You may be thinking, “there is not any war in my country.” Or, you may be thinking I am talking about a physical war. I am not. We are all at war whether we know it or not.

In Avengers: Age of Ultron there is a scene where Hawkeye is giving a pep talk to Scarlet Witch (link to clip or watch below). Hawkeye tells Scarlet Witch she has a choice. She can choose to go out and fight against Ultron or she can stay in the house and be safe.

   We do not have a choice, we are at war. We just need to choose which side we are on and whether or not we join that side fully. We can join God’s side by accepting Christ. If we aren’t on God’s side we are on the Devil’s side. There is no in between in this war. Because, when we die we either go to heaven or hell. If you do not believe in Christ you are going to hell no matter how many good works you have done.

   If you are a follower of Christ then you need to follow the Great Commission and do your best to follow Christ’s example. That means following God’s commandments, loving God, loving others, and having a relationship with God. That is how we fight our war against Satan. But, that’s not always easy. Sometimes we need a pep talk.

   There are times we need a "Hawkeye," or a friend, to come alongside us and say wake up in one way or another. That doesn’t mean when we are giving someone a pep talk that we say “get your head out of the clouds” in a mean way. We need to gage what type of pep talk a person needs. Sometimes we need a kick in the butt. Other times we need someone to talk things through with us. But, no matter what pep talk is delivered, it is vital that we keep one another accountable.

   We are called to walk alongside each other that way we can all survive this crazy battle called our lives. We can rest easy knowing that our battle has already been won, if we are on God’s side. Then we also know that ultimately the war has already been won because of Christ’s sacrifice.

   So, whose side of the war are you on? Do you believe that Christ has already won the war for you and have confidence in that? Are you willing to give others pep talks if they need it?

   John 16:33, Mark 12:31, Galatians 6:1-5

When the Battle Seems Hopeless

   Every day when we wake up we have battles of our own to fight. It may be getting through the daily grind at work. It may be that someone is gossiping about us at school. Or, it may be a family member is unable to take care of themselves. It is difficult to fight those battles in general, but it is especially difficult if you fight them alone.

   In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (link to clip here) 300 men are at Helm’s Deep getting ready to fight a battle. There are 10,000 Uruk-hai coming to fight them. It seems that the men will die no matter how well guarded the fortress is. The men have started to lose hope and courage. Aragorn’s friends tell him that it is hopeless and they will die. But, his friends still agree to fight with him.

   On top of that, elves arrive to help the men in the battle. Men have been corrupt for years and it is difficult for elves to trust and assist the men. Nevertheless, in the men’s time of need the elves come alongside men to help them. This helped men fight and survive the battle. The odds were impossible. There literally was no hope. Then elves came alongside their friends and suddenly spirits were lifted and the battle was won.

   We all have our own battles to fight. There are times where it may seem all hope is lost and the enemy is closing in. But, then we have someone come alongside us to help us through the battle. That is why it is so important for us to have friends who can help us during our times of need. We cannot be a lone wolf and think we can make it on our own because we cannot. God knew this from the beginning of time. That is why he created a mate for Adam. He knew Adam needed someone to help him fight his battles (even if they did lose a battle to Satan).

   We need to work hard to have a good relationship with God so that we can withstand our battles. And, so we can help others when they have a battle they are fighting.

   So, are you willing to come alongside others to help them fight? Do you have a good relationship with God so that you can fight your battles and help others in their battles?

   Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, John 15:12-15, Galatians 6:1-5

The Blame Game

   Having a dog is great. Whenever you come home from a long day the dog is always excited to see you. You always have someone to snuggle with whenever you want. If you drop some food by accident you have an automatic vacuum cleaner. And, you always have someone to blame.
   In my family we like to joke with each other. For example, if someone eats something that belonged to someone else we all blame someone else even if we did it. My sister and I used to blame my brother but then we got a dog. So now we can yell “it was Yoyo.” Yoyo, of course being his cute self, will not get in trouble as much as we would. ;)
   In the end whoever actually did it owns up to it. But, we all have a good laugh playing the blame game. The funny thing is, this game has been around since the first sin. And, sometimes, people are not playing it in a joking manner.  
   For example, in Genesis the blame game can be found in chapter 3. Adam and Eve had just committed the first sin. God asked Adam if he ate from the tree. Adam said, “the woman you gave me, gave me the fruit and I ate it.” Then God asked Eve what she did. Eve said, “The serpent deceived me.” 
   No one was willing to take the blame. No one wanted to take responsibility. Why do you think this is? It is probably because of fear. People would rather lie or blame someone else than take responsibility because we are afraid. We do not want punishment. We do not like punishment. And yet, most of the time, if we own up to what we did right away people are merciful. 
   Children may do something wrong, but if they tell the truth right away rather than lying parents see that as growth. If the child would lie instead they would get a harsher punishment because he sinned more than once. And, no matter how hard we try, we cannot stop sinning. We cannot stop blaming others because we are afraid.
   The great thing is, we don’t have to be afraid of sin. Jesus took the blame for us. He took responsibility of everyone’s sins already. We just have to believe in him and ask him to forgive our sins.
   So, do you ever blame others for things you have done wrong? Are you willing to admit when you have done something wrong? Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sins?

   Proverbs 28:13, James 4:17, John 3:16